Structures of all kinds require that their surfaces be protected from the environmental elements to which they are exposed. Various systems for covering structures have been devised and placed in common usage, such as, siding of aluminum or of other conformable material. Typically, the covering materials must be sealed at their boundaries in order to prevent entry of water or other gases or liquids, and often must either provide insulation directly or accommodate placement of insulating materials beneath the coverings. Additional considerations which must be addressed in the design of a covering system of a particular material include aesthetic appearances, durability and longevity, and efficiency of construction and application.
The shape of a structure may either accommodate the application of particular covering systems or it may present difficulties because of the particular shape and dimensions of the structure. For example, large structures and those of a shape which departs from the rectilinear are much more difficult to cover effectively. Many of the materials and systems used in the past, are inadequate and quite ineffective to cover these types of structures.
As an alternative to the more rigid covering materials, fabric offers a much greater flexibility and adaptability to singly- and multiply-curved surfaces. However this same flexibility raises the difficult problems of erection, fastening, sealing and abrasive wear. With the development of modern reinforced fabrics, use of fabrics, such as these, as building materials for roofing and cladding has become more practical. The invention described herein, seeks to maximize the potential of fabric material as cladding for complex surface structures. The present invention embodies a system which uses a membrane, tensioned over structural supports, to cover and to weather seal large structures and unusually shaped structures, in novel and efficient ways.
Thus it is an objective of the within invention to define a system that will practically and efficiently cover a structure and enable practical use of tensioned membranes, such as fabrics, as a flexible covering material for complex structural topographies.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a secure method to retain and support the cladding over the structure surface.
Still another objective of the invention is to instruct the trades in the techniques of erecting and securing fabric panels to a building surface and in the technique of sealing the fabric panel seams and joints securely thereby protecting the structure from the elements.
Yet still another objective of the invention is to provide a clamping system that, with minimal destructive abrasive wear on the fabric, will support and secure the fabric panels against penetration by the elements.
A final objective of the invention is to devise a system which retains the tensioned fabric panels through the use of edge attachments in a vertical plane and at upper and lower boundaries of the cladding system.
These and other objectives of the invention are fully met by the invention in the application of the preferred embodiment described below.